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In this unfortunate era of fake news I've made it a daily habit to visit Snopes. In a more innocent time one might go there to fact-check an urban myth; these days the site's scope has expanded to include other types of misinformation, like misleading tweets from members of Congress.

So, first of all, as a member of the European Union, Portugal enjoys net neutrality protections set by the EU regulator BEREC. What we're actually looking at in this MEO screen shot is a selection of zero-rated data bundles—apps and services that, for an additional fee, won't be subject to the user's monthly data cap. The idea, if not the execution, is similar to T-Mobile's Binge On.

In the EU, as in Canada, zero-rated data offerings come under scrutiny if they are suspected of disadvantaging similar services. For example, Bell Canada's mobile TV offering was disallowed by our CRTC because it was not subject to data caps, and was therefore anti-competitive against other video services, like Netflix and YouTube, that were.

It's difficult to pitch zero-rated data as a net neutrality issue because everybody wants free stuff—or, in the case of MEO subscribers, unlimited access to the services they use most. But don't be fooled by tweets; Portugal does have a zero-rated data problem, but also strong net neutrality protections.

If you were planning a visit to your local Verizon outlet today, there's something you should know: "Team Internet", a coalition of the activist groups Demand Progress, Fight for the Future and Free Press, is planning a national day of action at Verizon stores around the country. Participants will be protesting the FCC's planned repeal of net neutrality protections in the United States.

On November 21st FCC Chief Ajit Pai formally revealed plans to reverse the commission's 2015 net neutrality order, more specifically the Title II protections for broadband and mobile Internet traffic. The worry is that without Title II there will be nothing to stop Internet service providers from prioritizing, for example, their own video streaming services over Netflix or YouTube. Pai, on the other hand, claims that Title II has stifled innovation and investment in network infrastructure.

The FCC will vote on Pai's plan on December 14th; the repeal is expected to go through with commissioners voting 3 for and 2 against, along party lines. What today's protests are expected to accomplish beyond raising awareness is unclear. Depending on where you stand on this issue it could be either a minor annoyance or something you'll very much want to be a part of.

Though perhaps not directly related to mobile this is nonetheless pretty big news for tech enthusiasts in Canada. TechSpot reports that Netlink Computers, Inc., more commonly known as NCIX, has officially declared itself bankrupt to the Supreme Court of British Columbia.

I'm not sure how much of a household name NCIX would be for our American friends, but in Canada they've been a popular source for PC parts and other electronics, including unlocked smartphones. In 2011 yours truly ordered a custom-built PC from their Scarborough location (the one pictured above) and it was a thing of beauty—the technician who assembled it did a much better job with the cabling and such than I ever could.

NCIX was also directly responsible for launching the YouTube career of Linus Sebastian, who did product demos for the retailer before starting the Linus Tech Tips channel with fellow NCIX employee Luke Lafreniere.

Curiously, the online storefront looks like it's still accepting orders; currently the only place on the site where you can read about the bankruptcy is their user forums. If anyone reading this has an open order with NCIX my advice would be to file a chargeback with your credit card company ASAP.

Here's something I didn't know—Freedom Mobile has a list of cities where Band 4 LTE is available on their network. You'll of course find system-wide (but not Canada-wide) support for the newer Band 66, but only the latest flagship smartphones support it. Band 4 is much more widely supported, on older flagships and even this year's midrange devices.